According to Thurrott.com, Google plans to revamp YouTube TV in 2026 with over 10 new, cheaper, genre-specific subscription plans. One announced package is “YouTube TV Sports,” though pricing for all plans remains unknown. Christian Oestlien, VP and Head of Subscriptions at YouTube, stated the goal is to give viewers more control, letting them choose between the full 100+ channel plan or focused bundles for sports, news, or family content. This shift follows multiple price increases, with the current base plan costing $82.99 per month in the U.S. The sports plan will include major broadcasters, ESPN networks, FS1, and NBC Sports Network, plus features like unlimited DVR and multiview.
The Bundle Gets Unbundled, Again
Here’s the thing: this feels like history repeating itself. The entire pitch of cable-cutting services like YouTube TV was to escape the bloated, expensive bundles forced on us by traditional cable. And for a while, it worked. Remember that launch price of $34.99 back in 2017? It was a revelation. But slowly, surely, it morphed into the very thing it was supposed to replace—a big, expensive bundle of channels most people don’t watch. So now, to fix the high price of the bundle, they’re… creating smaller bundles. It’s the cycle of bundling and unbundling, and we’re just living in it.
The Devil’s in the (Unknown) Details
My immediate skepticism comes from the complete lack of price tags. “Cheaper” is a relative term. Is the Sports plan $50? $60? $70? If it’s only $10 less than the full package, is it really a meaningful choice for most people? And what gets cut? Oestlien mentions you can combine sports and news. That sounds like you might need two “genre” plans to get the coverage you want, and suddenly your “cheaper” tailored subscription isn’t so cheap anymore. The ability to add NFL Sunday Ticket is a smart nod to hardcore fans, but that’s a premium add-on on top of a premium plan. The math needs to work, and right now, we can’t do it.
A Necessary, But Desperate, Play for Subs
Let’s be real. This is a defensive move. At over $80 a month, YouTube TV is hitting a ceiling. They’ve probably bled all the subscribers willing to pay for the “everything” package. To grow, or even just stop the bleed, they need to attract people who balk at that price. A sports fan who doesn’t care about cooking channels or a news junkie who hates reality TV might finally see an entry point. But it’s a tricky balancing act. If these new plans are too compelling, they could cannibalize their own higher-revenue full-plan subscribers. Google’s playing a complex game here, and 2026 is a long time to wait to see if their strategy pays off.
